Reducing-valve.



T. P. FORD.

REDUCING VALVE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 27, 1908.

932,262. Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

WITNESSES IIVVENTOR jyzamaafifrd ATTORNEYS To all whom it may concern.

THOMAS P. FORD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.-

I REDUCING-VALVE.

Specification oi Letters Patent.

Application filed November 27, 1908. Serial No. 464,695.

Be it known that I, THOMAS P. FORD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Reducing-Valve, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

"The invention relates to water distribution and its object is to provide a new and improved reducing valve, more especially designed for high pressure fire systems and the like, and arranged to permit of obtaining variable ressures from a common supply, such as a ydrant, to allow, for instance, the use of several hose, one with a low pressure for inside work and another with a higher pressure for outside work on a burning building. To attain this object use is made of a valve casing having a connection with the hydrant or other source of water supply, and provided with a plurality of outlets for connection with separate fire hose, and main piston valves arranged within the said valve casing for controlling the flow of the water to the said outlets.

Reference is to be hadto the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification, in which the figure is a sectional side elevation of the improvement.

The valve casing A is connected by a nipple B with a hydrant O or other source of water su ply, and in the casing A are arranged tl ie valve seats D and E leading to the outlets F and G containing valves F, G and adapted to be connected with fire hose for use in burning buildings and the like. On the valve seat D is adapted to be seated the valve H of a main piston valve H having a piston H mounted to slide in a cylinder I arranged within the casing A, and the'valve seat E is adapted to be closed by a valve J of another main piston valve J having its piston J 2 mounted to slide in a cylinder 1 arranged within the casing A. The cylinders I, I are closed at their inner ends and are open at their outer ends, as plainly indicated in the drawings, and the main plston valve H is rovided with a passage-a for connecting the fgces of the piston H with each other, that is, to allow water which enters the open end of the cylinder I to pass by way of the passage a into the closed end of the said cylinder I. The assage a is provided with a valve seat a a apted to be closed by the valve K of an auxiliary piston valve K, having a piston K mounted to slide in a cylinder L extending through a suitable stuffing box A held on the casin A, the outer end of the cylinder L being 0 osed by a cap L. A spring N presses the piston K of the auxiliary valve K, to-move' the valve K onto the seat a, and the tension of the spring N is adapted to'be regulated by the operator by a screw red O screwing in the cap L against a washer N held on the outer end of the spring N. The valve K of the auxiliary piston valve K is also adapted to be seated on a valve seat P in a bushing P opening into the inner end of the cylinder L, which latter is provided near its inner end with ports I) for the assage of water into the inner end of the cy inder L to press against the piston K in an outward direction and against the tension of the spring N.

The main piston valve J is also provided with a passage 0 for connecting the faces of the piston J 2 with each other, to allow water to pass into the inner end of the cylinder 1. The passage 0 is provided with a valve seat 0 adapted to be enga ed by the valve Q of anauxiliary piston va ve Q, having a piston Q mounted to slide in a cylinder R extending loosely through a stufling box A arranged on the casing A. A spring S presses the pistonQ and its tension is regulated by a screw rod T under the control of the operator and screwin outer end of the cy inder R. The inner end of the screw rod T engages a washer S restin on the outer end of the spring S. The vaive Q, is also adapted to be seated on the seat U of a bushing U held on the main piston valve J and opening into the inner end of the cylinder R screwed to and moving with the main piston valve J, the same as the cylinder R is screwed to the main piston valve H and moves with the same. Ports (1 are arranged near the inner end of the cylinder R for the passage of water into the inner end of the cylinder R to press against the piston QK The operation is as follows:

Presuming that the pressure of the supply in the hydrant C is say 300 lbs. and it is desired that the [pressure in the outlet F is to be 100 lbs. and that in the outlet G 200 lbs., then the sprin s Nj and S are correspondingly adjuste b the operator manipulating the screw r0 s O Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

in a cap R closing the.

and T correspondingly. Now

when the valves F and G are closed or the said valves F and G are open, and the nozzles in the hose connected with the outlets F and G are closed, then both valves H and of the piston valves H and J are held to their seats D and E by pressure within the casing A passing through the passages a and a into the inner ends of the cylinders I and I, to force the pistons H", J outward, thus holding the valves H, J to their seats D and E. When the valves Hand J are in closed positions, then the valves K and Q .are seated on their seats P and U, to allow free passage ofthe water through the passages a and c to the inner ends of the cylinders I and I.

Now in case the valve F is opened or the a the piston I, thus shifting the main piston again pass to the inner end of the c valve H in a like direction and moving the valve H oii the seat D, thus allowing water to flow through the seat D into the outlet F and to the hose and at the pressure of 100 lbs; Now in case the pressure outlet F exceeds 100 lbs., to which the s ring N has been set, then the pressure in t e inner end of the cylinder L eorreslpondingly increases and moves the piston 2 outward against the tension of the sprin N, and in so doing the auxiliary piston va ve K is shifted outward, to move the valve K oil the seat a and back onto the seat P, so that water can linder I and push the main piston valve toward the seat D, and if necessary close the same until the pressure in the outlet F is reduced to 100 lbs. A like 0 eration takes place in case the valve G or t e nozzle on the end of the hose connected with the outlet G is opened, that is, the reduction of pressure in t e outlet G causes" a like reduction of pressure in the inner end of the cylinder R, so that the spring S moves the auxiliary piston valve Q inward, so that the valve Q moves ofi the seat U and onto the seat 0", thus shutting oil the lpressure from the innerend of the cylinder Now the reponderance of pressure against the outer ace of the piston J pushes the pistonvalve J into an inward or open position, thus allowing the fluid to pass through the seat E, into the outlet G and reducing. the pressure to 200 lbs. Now in case the ressure exceeds 200 lbs. in

' the outlet G an the hose connected therewith, then a like increase of pressure takes place on the liquid in the inner end of the move the same outward and the valve J toward or onto the seat E, to reduce the pressure in the outlet G to 200 lbs. When this takes place the valve J again opens.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by the arrangement described, the two outlets F and G deliver water at different pressures accordin to the tension given to the springs N an S under the, control of the operator.

It is understood that it is fre sirable to use a fire hose inside 0 a burning building at a comparatively low ressure, while a hose is used exteriorly wit a high ressure and both pressures can be obtained from the same source of su ply by the reducing valve described and illustrated in the drawings.

uently de-' Having ,thus described my invention, 1'

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 4

1. A reducing valve havin a valve casing provided with an inlet or connection with a source of pressure supply and vided with a lurality of outlets, and main iston valves or controlling the fiowof the iquid from the said inlet independently and separately to'the said outlets.

2. A reducing valve having a valvecasing provided with an inlet for connection with a source of pressure supply and provided with a plurality of outlets, main piston valves for controlling the flow of the liquid from the said inlet independently and separately to the said outlets, and manually-controlled means for setting the said piston valves to different pressures.

3. A reducing valve having a valvecasing provided with an inlet for connection with a source of pressure supply and provided with a plurality of outlets, main piston valves for controlling the flow of the liquid from the said inlet independently and separately to the said outlets, the said main. iston valves being normally held closed by igh pressure of the entering liquid on one side of the piston valve, and means for producing a preponderance of pressure on the other side of the piston valve for opening the same on opening the said outle'ts.

4. A reducing valve having a valve casing provided with an inlet for connection with a source of pressure supply and provided with a plurality of outlets, main piston valves for controlling the flow'of the liquid from the said inlet independently and separately to' the said outlets, each of the said main piston valves being normally held closedby a high ressure on one side of the piston of the sai spring-pressed auxiliary, iston valve normally held open a ainst t e pressure of the spring by the said 'gh pressure and in communication with the corresponding outlet, to reduce the said high pressure on opening the outlet, to cause the said auxiliary piston valve to shut off the high pressure from the said side of the piston, to move the piston valve into an open position by the pre onderance of pressure on the other side of the piston.

5. A reducing valve comprising a valve casing having an inlet for connection with a high ressure source of water supply and providhd with a plurality of outlets, valve seats leading to the said the casing, main iston valves having their pistons engaging the said cylinders and their valves en aging the said valve seats for controlling t e flow of thewater throu h the said seats to the outlets, each iston avin a connection from one face to t e other, an an auxiliary piston valve for each main iston valve and having its valve contro ing the said connection, one side of the piston of the said auxiliary piston valve being under pressure from the outlet, and a spring outlets, cylinders in pressing the other side of the auxiliary piston.

6. A reducing valve comprising a, valve casing having an inlet for connection with a high ressure source of water supply and provi ed with a plurality of outlets, valve seats leading to the said outlets, cylinders in the casing, main piston valves having their pistons engaging the said cylinders an their valves en aglng the said valve seats for controlling t e flow ,of the water throu h the said seats to the outlets, each iston aving a connection from one face to t 0 other, and

an auxiliary piston valve for each main iston valve and having its valve control in the said connection, one side of the piston o the said auxiliary piston valve being under pressure from the outlet, a spring pressing the other side of the auxiliary piston, and manually-controlledmeans for regulating the tension of the said spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS P. FORD.

Witnesses:

AMIEL KEPPLER, Jr., A. CtS'rAPLEToN. 

